Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1002/2015WR017220
Title (Primary) Is unique scaling of aquifer macrodispersivity supported by field data?
Author Zech, A.; Attinger, S.; Cvetkovic, V.; Dietrich, P. ORCID logo ; Fiori, A.; Rubin, Y.; Teutsch, G.
Source Titel Water Resources Research
Year 2015
Department CHS; GF; MET
Volume 51
Issue 9
Page From 7662
Page To 7679
Language englisch
Supplements https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1002%2F2015WR017220&file=wrcr21676-sup-0001-2015WR017220-SupInfo.pdf
UFZ wide themes RU5;
Abstract

Spreading of conservative solutes in groundwater due to aquifer heterogeneity is quantified by the macrodispersivity, which was found to be scale dependent. It increases with travel distance, stabilizing eventually at a constant value. However, the question of its asymptotic behavior at very large scale is still a matter of debate. It was surmised in the literature that macrodispersivity scales up following a unique scaling law. Attempts to define such a law were made by fitting a regression line in the log-log representation of an ensemble of macrodispersivities from multiple experiments. The functional relationships differ among the authors, based on the choice of data. Our study revisits the data basis, used for inferring unique scaling, through a detailed analysis of literature marcodispersivities. In addition, values were collected from the most recent tracer tests reported in the literature. We specified a system of criteria for reliability and reevaluated the reliability of the reported values. The final collection of reliable estimates of macrodispersivity does not support a unique scaling law relationship. On the contrary, our results indicate, that the field data can be explained as a collection of macrodispersivities of aquifers with varying degree of heterogeneity where each exhibits its own constant asymptotic value. Our investigation concludes that transport, and particularly the macrodispersivity, is formation-specific, and that modeling of transport cannot be relegated to a unique scaling law. Instead, transport requires characterization of aquifer properties, e.g., spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity, and the use of adequate models.

Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=16761
Zech, A., Attinger, S., Cvetkovic, V., Dietrich, P., Fiori, A., Rubin, Y., Teutsch, G. (2015):
Is unique scaling of aquifer macrodispersivity supported by field data?
Water Resour. Res. 51 (9), 7662 - 7679 10.1002/2015WR017220